Say hello to “My Cape Town Girls”

Artist Richard Scott will launch a new series of art prints at the Opulent Living Concept Store & Gallery on 1 February, featuring his trademark ‘girls’ against a bright and colourful homage to his home city.

Cape Town artist Richard Scott never signs his work. Instead, he stamps them with a wooden letter-block that leaves a lower-case impression of his first name in the acrylic. But for those who love his unique pop art style, there’s no mistaking a Richard Scott work.

His bold white subjects – most famously female semi-nudes in a variety of playful stances – are etched in deep black lines and stand out against brightly coloured backgrounds. His popular Studio Works sees these striking female forms confront the viewer from large-format canvasses filled with found objects and embellished with lashings of impasto and acrylic. Their daring simplicity and directness have made the self-taught artist a household name among art collectors across the world, who love the fun, joyful nature of his work. He extends his reach with colourful limited-edition prints, which have fast become highly sought-after collector’s items.

Raised in Johannesburg, Richard turned full-time artist in 2001 after retiring from a successful dotcom start-up. He now works from a studio in Cape Town’s Melkbosstrand, where he lives with his wife and two children. A passionate innovator – “I don’t have an off switch”, he confesses – he’s brought his signature style to everything from surfboards to scooters.

Richard’s new “My Cape Town Girls” art prints feature three of his trademark girls against a Cape Town skyline. With Table Mountain as a backdrop, the skyline moves from Tokai Forest to the Cape Town CBD and on to the colourful houses of the Bo-Kaap. From there the Mouille Point Lighthouse sends out a warning light to fishing boats and the view shifts to Cape Town Stadium and the famous landmarks of the V&A Waterfront. Finally, little sailing boats lead the eye to the bright beach huts of Muizenberg.

The series includes three works – “My Red Cape Town Mandy”, “My Yellow Cape Town Ana” and “My Blue Cape Town Uma” – each available as numbered and signed editions of 12. Richard will launch the prints at a special evening event at the Opulent Living Concept Store & Gallery in Kloof Street on Thursday 1 February, and will be available to discuss his work over a chilled glass of bubbly. The prints will be available to buy exclusively through the gallery for R12500. The original “My Blue Cape Town Uma” will also be for sale at the launch.

Opulent Living Concept Store & Gallery opened in November 2016 and has fast established itself on the Cape Town art scene. Billed as the destination for lovers of the finer things in life, it’s a warm, intimate space where emerald-green walls showcase both well-known and upcoming local artists amid carefully curated artisanal products.

For more information on the Richard Scott “My Cape Town Girls” series, please contact: